The Blue Rose Returns
by ChiropteraQueen278
Summary: Diva somehow survived the final battle with Saya, and has kidnapped her children from Kai. With Saya's long sleep far from over, can Kai and the Red Sheild save the twins alone? My first story, so don't be to harsh. I messed up on chapter 2, sorry.
1. Chapter 1: Innocence

1

The Blue Rose Returns

_Prologue_

_Her eyes open, and she begins breathing in short, ragged gasps. Memories come flooding back to her, and her teeth clench in anger. She doesn't know where she is, or how she got there, but she doesn't care. They would pay for what they had done to her, she would make sure of that. As she sits up, her eyes flash, then glow. Her anger envelops her like a blanket. It was comforting. Yes, they would pay. She smiles at this thought, and gets out of the bed that she had been sleeping in. They thought that they could rid themselves of her that easily? They were in for a rude awakening. They would soon see just what she could do. Revenge would be sweet. But first things first._

_She needed her babies._

Chapter 1

Innocence

"Uncle Kai!" Kai turned around just in time to see a flash of long black hair before an object hurtling towards him sent him crashing to the ground. He looked up into the beaming face of a 7-year-old girl in a blue dress. Her blue eyes sparkled with excitement, and a pang went through Kai as he was once again struck by how much the girl looked like her mother. But Kai repressed these feelings as best he could, and turned his attention back to the girl kneeling on his chest. "Guess what, Uncle Kai", she said with a giggle. Kai smiled. "What, Yuki?" "The teacher put a star on my paper, 'cause I had the best grade in the class!" Okay, this surprised Kai a little. Yuki's sister, Sakura, was usually the one with the better grades... In fact she always had better grades. Yuki excelled in gym, art, and music, but Sakura always did better in academics. "Out of the whole class?" "Yeah", she said with a smile, knowing what he meant, "even better than Sakura's!" "Wow", said Kai. "Great job, Yuki." Yuki grinned, and finally got off of Kai's chest. When Kai looked up, he saw Sakura, standing a little ways off, looking out from behind a tree. As Kai watched, a tear trickled down her cheek. Kai immediately walked over to her. She ran to him and hugged him, sobbing. "What's wrong?" She looked up at him with her tear-streaked face. "I'm sorry, Uncle Kai! I studied really hard for that test! I did!" Kai smiled. "Is that what you're so upset about?", Kai asked as soothingly as possible. "Don't worry Sakura. It's not a contest between you and your sister to see who gets better grades. It's okay that Yuki did better on this test. I know that you did your best, and that's all that matters." The little girl sniffled. "Really?" "Really", Kai said, smiling. "So no more crying, okay?" She nodded. "Good. Now come on. Lets go celebrate your sister's A, okay?" Sakura smiled. "Okay!" Wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her dress, Sakura ran ahead of Kai to catch up with her sister. The two chattered happily, and Kai smiled. His moment of fear had passed. Just a few minutes of being with them had convinced him that the girls were nothing like their mother.

_She was watching them the whole time. She was perched on a tree far away, but her super-human vision picked out everything as though she were standing right next to them. She could pick out every tear on one girl's face, and her heart throbbed. And anger welled up inside of her when she ran to HIM for comfort. She ground her teeth together. It took every bit of self control she had to not go down there and snatch the girl away from him. She could forgive Kai, because she still liked him, but she would never forgive the others. Especially not Saya. Not ever. It was all Saya's fault that her children were being kept away from her. Saya's fault that her life had been nothing but running and hiding. Saya was the reason for all the misery in her life. When she found her, Saya would pay. She would be the first. The girl's blue eyes sparkled at the prospect, the way that the little girl's eyes had when she had told Kai about her grade. How dumb. As soon as she had those girls, she would teach them everything that was more important than tests. Which was, pretty much, everything. As she watched the scene below her unfold, she got angrier and angrier. When Kai somehow managed to comfort the older girl, she was so angry that a branch that she hadn't even realized she was she was holding broke. It was loud, and fearing that she might be seen, she jumped from the tree limb and hid farther back in the trees. She was seething at having to hide from her own children, and at the fact that Kai had been able too comfort the girl. As much as she liked Kai, she hated him for that. Her anger raged inside of her, and as she retreated back to where she had planned to meet her last remaining chevaliar, she didn't know how she could wait for their plan to unfold. She didn't know how she could wait for Saya to wake up before taking revenge, either. But there were three things that she was sure of. One, that she would get her children back. Two, that they would all pay for what they had done too her, and three, that it was feeding time._

It was a weekend, and Kai had taken the girls to the park. In the two weeks since Yuki had gotten an A on her test there had been another, in which Sakura had done better, so things were back to normal, and Armageddon wasn't coming. The girls were playing tag, weaving in and out of trees, and Kai was watching them from a nearby bench. Watching the girls play tag was always interesting, because of the whole super-human strength thing. When it came to the fact that they were Chiropterans, Kai had hidden nothing from the girls. They fully understood what they were, and had accepted it as best as 7-year-olds could. It was just after Sakura had tagged Yuki and had climbed up a tree (all done in about 5 seconds flat), that Kai sawit. He didn't believe it at first, and walked over to make sure his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. Even when he stared at it up close, he didn't quite believe it. It was only when he picked it up that he could no longer deny it's existence. It was a blue rose.

Memories flooded through Kai of everything that rose represented. He remembered Diva, her blue eyes glowing. He remembered her song, her fangs sinking into human flesh. He remembered the blood, all the corpses on the boat, Riku...

"Uncle Kai?"

Kai jerked back to reality, and turned around. Sakura and Yuki were standing there, worried expressions on their normally cheerful faces. Kai realized how long he must have been standing there for the girls to notice him in the midst of their game. He didn't want to worry them, so he put on the best imitation of a cheerful face that he could. "Sorry. Are you two ready to go home?" "Yeah, sure", said Yuki, but she and Sakura exchanged a worried look. They took Kai's hands and began the walk home. As they walked, Kai thought back to the blue rose, which he had dropped back in the park. It has to be a coincidence, Kai thought to himself. Diva was dead, he had seen that for himself. So were her chevaliars, he had seen that, too. He had seen them all die by Saya's sword... It had to be a coincidence. There was no other logical explanation. Still, should he call David just to make sure? No, David couldn't know anymore than he did, and besides, he and Julia would no doubt be busy with their own child. No, it was a coincidence, and nothing more. Best not to bother anyone else. Best just to concentrate on taking the girls home, and forget about the rose. Diva was dead, they were all dead, and they weren't coming back. Not ever. But no matter how many times he repeated that to himself, Kai couldn't quite shake the foreboding feeling that had settled in his stomach the second he found that rose.

_He had seen the rose. He had gotten the message, even if he wouldn't admit it to himself. She smiled. He had gotten his warning. It was finally time. She stood up. "Lets go." She would get her babies back._ _Nothing could stop her now._

"Okay, girls, time for bed." Yuki and Sakura groaned. "5 more minutes, please Kai", they begged. Kai smiled. "No, it's already past your bedtime." "Awwwwww!", they complained, but there were no more arguments. About 30 minutes later, Kai was tucking the girls into bed when he realized that he didn't have his wallet. "Shit", he muttered to himself, "I must have left it back at the park." He turned to the girls, already tucked into their beds on opposite sides of the room. "Will you two be okay if I run down to the park and get my wallet back?" The girls smiled. "We'll be fine, Kai. Go ahead", said Sakura. "Maybe you can stop by the store and get cookies, too?", Yuki added. Kai laughed. "Nice try." Yuki sighed and shrugged. "It was worth a shot." Kai smiled. Nope. Nothing like their mother. "I'll be back in 20 minutes." Kai walked down the stairs, thinking. He couldn't get the blue rose out of his mind. He wasn't sure what to think anymore. As he walked by the mantle, he stopped to look at the pictures that were placed there. There were pictures of all of them. Some were of Saya, some of Kai, some of his father, some of Riku, and lastly some of the twins. His eyes rested on one of Riku. "Why, Riku..."

CRASH!

Kai spun around. The sound had come from the twin's bedroom. He raced up the stairs. The twins were sitting up in their beds, absolute terror on their faces. The window was broken open, and sitting on the window sill was...Kai's eyes widened. She was exactly as he remembered. Short, black hair, blue eyes glinting, blue rose pinned to the front of her shirt. She smiled at the sight of him. "Well, hello, Kai. I didn't realize you were still here." Kai finally comprehended what he was seeing, and his mouth seemed to move on its own, saying what his mind was screaming out.

"D-Diva?"

Chapter 2

Diva

Diva had to admit, she really had thought that Kai had left. She had been too excited to sense him. She was finally seeing her children up close. She was a little annoyed that Kai had interrupted her, but she would forgive him. She was slightly saddened by the fact that her children were afraid of her, but then again, her entrance hadn't exactly been comforting. But maybe Kai could fix that. "Well, Kai, aren't you going to introduce me?" He just stood there, dumbstruck. She could smell his fear. It just made him cuter. Diva smiled, then slid off the windowsill. She advanced toward Kai, who took a step back. "What's wrong, Kai? Aren't you happy to see me?" Kai was practically shaking. Diva had to suppress a giggle. "H-How are you...", Kai began. Diva smiled. "How am I still alive? It's a funny story. Because some of the D-Base in my body was passed onto my babies, my internal organs were free of it, and continued working after I was crystalized. My sister's sword was out of blood when she tried to kill Nathan, so he survived, and has had several scientists working for years on reviving me." Diva twirled a little as she finished, "They finally succeeded, and here I am!" Kai seemed to have grown bolder during her explanation. "What do you want? Haven't you screwed up my life enough?" Diva smiled, and bounced on the balls of her feet. "Isn't it obvious, Kai? I want what's mine." Kai's eyes widened in realization. "You want-", he began. "My babies", Diva finished. "You put that rose there!" Diva laughed. "You're finally catching on! Yes, I put it there. I knew how you would react, and that you'd leave something at the park and go back for it, so I could come get my babies." Diva smiled, and reached out to touch Kai's face. "You know, Kai, my offer is still open for you to become my chevaliar." "WHAT IS GOING ON?!?!?" Diva turned, and saw that one of her babies, the one with her eyes, had yelled. Diva had almost forgotten them. She smiled. "Why don't you ask 'Uncle Kai'." The girls turned their tear-stained faces to Kai. He looked away. Diva saw an opportunity forming. "Go on, Kai. I thought you weren't hiding anything from them." Diva had him pinned down. "Yuki, Sakura, this is...your mother." The girls were stunned, but Diva smiled. "Yuki! Sakura! What pretty names! I've missed you girls so much! We are going to have such a good life!" "Hold it!" Kai yelled. "You're not taking them anywhere!" Diva laughed. "And you're going to stop me, Kai?" Diva advanced on him again. "If you do anything to me, those girls will hate you." Kai was growing braver by the minute. Diva smiled. "They're so young, they'll eventually forget." Diva turned away from Kai, and walked towards the girls. "NO", screamed Kai, lunging at Diva. He felt her hands on his shoulders, his back hit the wall, and the next thing he knew, it was morning. He looked around. Diva was gone... and so were Yuki and Sakura.


	2. Chapter 3: Plans

1Chapter 3

Plans

Kai had called David as soon as he woke up. David had immediately called the rest of The Red Shield. Even after Diva had been defeated- or as it now stood, was thought to have been defeated- , The Red Shield had disbanded, but they had all kept in contact, in preparation for an emergency. Kai was pretty sure, as he sat in a Meeting Room at some building that they had been given access to, that this qualified as an emergency. Stupid, stupid, he silently chastised himself. Why didn't I realize?! Blue roses don't grow naturally! There was no way that it just fell off of a bush or something! Kai sighed and turned his attention back to the meeting. Beating himself up over this wouldn't fix anything. Joel was talking. "...and our first priority has to be to get these girls away from Diva," he was saying. "With her influence, we don't know what they might be shaped into. We need to get them out, and soon." With that, everyone got up from the table and left on their own separate assignments. "Kai, can I talk to you for a minute?" It was Joel. "Sure." Joel gave Kai a long look. "Diva said that Nathan Mahler was still alive. Did she mention any other Chevaliers being alive?" "No", Kai answered, "but she did mention scientists working on reviving her." "Hmm, that's interesting. That should be helpful. The more people involved in this, the easier it should be for us to find something." Joel smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, Kai. We'll get them back." "Thanks, Joel", Kai said, and left. He pulled out his gun. He would get the twins back. No matter what.

Diva looked lovingly across the table at her two daughters. They were having dinner in the huge, blue-covered dining room in Nathan's house. She had ordered Nathan not to disturb them- it wasn't like he could eat, anyway. Sakura- Diva had picked up on their names quickly- was still trembling, as she had been for the past two weeks. Yuki- the one that looked like Diva- was staring at Diva with such a cold hatred that Diva almost laughed. The girl looked like Diva had refused her a cookie, or something. This was the way they had been for the past two weeks, and Diva was growing a little impatient with them...okay, a lot impatient. Why couldn't they just be happy already? Oh well, she did have all of time to wait for them, but she really didn't want to have to wait that long. Diva sighed and got up from the table. "You can go. If you want me, I'll be out in the yard." She heard them get up and run to their rooms. Diva smiled. She would somehow make them forget Kai, and then they would love her. They would learn- soon enough.

Yuki hated that woman. She may be their mother, but she hated her. She had kidnaped them and hurt Kai. Yuki would never forgive her. And she hated that other man, Diva's- what do you call it, chevalier? He was weird and like Diva, so he was on Yuki's enemy list, too. She was lying on her bed, thinking about this, when the door creaked open, and Sakura came bursting in. She was sobbing. "Yuki, what are we gonna do? I miss Uncle Kai! I wanna go home!" Yuki hugged her sister. "Don't worry Sakura. We'll see Uncle Kai again real soon." She tightened her grasp around her sister. "I have a plan."


	3. Chapter 4: Failure and Success

1Chapter 4

Failure and Success

Diva was suspicious. The girls had been unusually quiet, and- well, calm- the past few days. They didn't beg to go home, cry, or even glare at Diva as they ate. Just kept their eyes on their plates. And when they weren't eating, they were in their rooms. But there was no sound. Not a peep. Almost like they didn't want to be heard. Diva would have had to be blind to not see that something was going on. But what could she do? She couldn't just- wait, of course she could! She could do anything she wanted to! No one could tell her what to do- not Kai, not Nathan, not Yuki or Sakura, not even herself! Diva giggled at this little realization and lay back on the grass. If she wanted to spy on her daughters, she could. Who would stop her? No one, that's who. With Saya asleep, Diva had nothing and no one to fear. And what did she fear? Two small children who could only cry and beg? No, there was nothing wrong with it. Diva would find out what was going on, and she would do it her way. Not like a human, who would just wait around, pondering, until whatever they were pondering about came back and smacked them in the face. No, Diva wasn't that dumb. She stood, ready for a challenge, ready to find out what her daughters were hiding from her. Little did she know, she had waited too long.

"This is your plan?" Sakura glanced at the pile of stolen towels and sheets, then up at her sister. Yuki scowled. "I saw it on TV once at Uncle Kai's house, so it has to work!" "I hate to break it to you, Sis", Sakura said, never taking her eyes off the pile, "but not everything you see on TV works." Yuki stuck out her tounge at her older sister. "Just shut up and help me tie these things together!" About twenty minutes later and ten tangled up hands later, the two girls had a twenty foot sheet and towel rope. Yuki was beaming, but Sakura was wondering if the rope would really carry them both. Yuki ran to the bed-post and tied the rope to it. It was too loose, and Sakura had to go and help her sister tie it. "Good thing I learned how to tie knots from Uncle Kai." Sakura stopped, thinking of Kai, and tears started to well up in her eyes. Yuki sympathetically took her sister's hand. "Don't worry. We'll be home in no time." Sakura nodded, and they both walked to the open window and dropped the rope down. "I'll go first", Yuki volunteered, and with that, grabbed the rope, took a DEEP breath, and stepped out pushed her feet off of the window-sill. Sakura flinched, expecting to hear a scream and a thud, but no sound came. She waited. And waited. And then- "Hey, Sakura, hurry up! This is fun!" Sakura sighed with relief, and then imitated her sister's actions, and began shimmying down the rope. Yuki was right- this WAS fun. Sakura laughed as she dropped down the rope. They were going home. Finally. They would surprise Kai, and they would all laugh and everything would be back to norma- "What are you two doing?"

It had been four weeks since Diva had taken the girls. The house was so empty without them. Kai sat at the kitchen table, looking at their empty places. He wondered what they were doing right now, where they were. He didn't think that he could stand being in the house for one more minute without them. He could almost hear them laughing. _"Uncle Kai, come look at this!" _RIIIIIIIIING!!!! The phone jerked Kai awake. He hadn't even realized that he had fallen asleep. It was dark now. He walked over and picked up the phone. "Hello?" "Kai, it's David. We think we've found the girls."


	4. Chapter 5: Necassary Sacrifices

1Chapter 5

Necessary Sacrifices

Diva was depressed. She had caught her daughters mid-escape, yes, but just the fact that they wanted so badly to leave that they would risk climbing down a rope as hazardous as the one they had used was disturbing. Even Diva wouldn't use that rope, despite her amazing healing powers (and though Sakura would never admit it, when Diva had said this to the two girls, she had silently agreed). Diva could not understand what was so wrong. She had bought the girls toys, games, expensive clothes, gourmet foods, and _still_ they would rather go back to that sweaty old bar on a hot, crowded island. Could they really have formed that strong a bond with Kai in only 7 years?

Diva got up from the grass and walked around the perimeter of the yard. She was to upset to keep still. Out of reflex, her natural coping mechanism kicked in-singing. She had done it in the tower, and it had kept her sane then, until the day Saya nee-sama had let her out. Diva smiled through the high notes of her song. What a day that had been! She had _sooooo_ enjoyed seeing the first Joel's face contort with fear, and she had savored every ounce of his blood. It had served him right. He could not complain about his fate, she had only gotten even. Her only regret was that she hadn't thought to lock _him_ up in a tower, so he could see what it was like. But she was getting off track. She was trying to figure out how to get her girls to love her. It had only been 7 years! How could they love Kai so much?!? HOW?!?!

Diva hit a wrong note. She stopped cold. That had never happened to her before. Not in over 100 years. Was she really that angry? She fell back into the grass. She stared at the clouds in the sky. She remembered that day, 7 years ago, when she had thought that she was dying.

For the first time in years, Diva had been genuinely afraid. She had seen every detail so clearly, thanks to adrenaline flowing through her rapidly-crystalizing body.

And when Nathan lay her unhatched children down in front of her, she had reached out to them, using the last of her strength, she had stroked them lovingly, had tried to whisper her song to them, as she had so longed to do. But her cracking, crystal lips had not even permitted her that. And so she had just stroked them, it was all that she could do. But the worst part was when her arm had crystalized, and she could no longer stroke her children, or even feel their presence beneath her finger tips. Her arm just sat limply upon the cocoons, already cracking and falling apart before her eyes. She would have cried, but tears would not come fast enough to beat the crystallization process. Her last whisper had sat upon her tongue as Diva's world blackened, never passing through her lips.

"No...my...my babies..."

"No", Diva whispered, returning to the present. She had fallen asleep, had dreamed the entire memory. Diva stared straight up at the clouds from the grass, not really seeing them. She stayed that way for a long time, until a breeze blew a rose petal around. Diva watched it dance for a minute, until the breeze died, and the petal came down... right into Diva's hand, which was lying open on the ground. Diva stared at that rose petal for a long, long time, until she felt something wet on her face. Without reaching up to wipe it away, Diva knew what it was. A tear.

Diva was crying.

Because she knew what she needed to do.

She felt eyes on her.

Little, brown and blue eyes.

Diva stood, clasping her hand tightly around the rose petal. Without looking at her children, or wiping away her tears, she walked by them.

"It's raining. Go inside."

Kai walked through the front door, without even bothering to turn on the light. He flopped down into a chair, and sighed deeply. The Red Shield's lead had turned out to be nothing. It was just some whack-job scientist who wanted his 15 minutes. Nothing good had come of it. Kai just didn't understand how Diva could show up, take the girls, then disappear completely. Was she a magician now as well as a vampire?

Kai needed to know the girls were safe, he needed-

"You planning on turning on some lights any time soon?"

The hairs on the back of Kai's neck stood up. In one fluid motion he pulled out his gun with one hand and flipped up the light switch with the other.

And there she sat, on the couch as though she had been in this building a thousand times. "Diva", said Kai. Diva looked at him. "Do you enjoy saying my name, Kai, 'cause you sure do say it a lot." Kai was not amused. "What do you want?" Diva smiled. "What's wrong Kai? I thought that you'd be a little happier to see me." Kai was losing his patience. "I said, what do you want?" Diva laughed. "OK, OK, Kai, you win. I'll get down to business, but you really should learn some manners for when you're entertaining guests." "You're not a guest, you're a trespasser." Diva laughed so hard, she almost fell off the couch. "You're funny, Kai."

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?!?"

Diva backed away a little, still giggling. Her smile faded quickly, though. "Well Kai, as surprising as it may seem, the girls haven't been too happy lately." "You don't say", said Kai, his finger still on the trigger of his gun. "No", Diva continued, "and I've been thinking a lot about what might make them happy. Nothing I buy makes them happy, they don't like spending time with me, and the only other thing I can think of," Diva looked intently at Kai, "is you." Kai was having trouble understanding what he was hearing. "What do you mean?" Diva sighed.

"What I mean, Kai", her eyes flashed as she looked at him, "is that I will let you see the girls."

Author's Note: Ok, a very Diva-centric chapter, but a lot of people that read this told me that my story was making them hate Diva, and we can't have that now, can we? I love Diva. No, I was actually going to do this chapter this way anyway, but those comments made me think more carefully about what Diva was saying. Anyway, sorry this chapter took so long, but the semester is ending, and so I had a lot of projects due. Hopefully my school work will tone down a little bit so I can write more. I'll try my best too write as much as possible!


	5. Chapter 6: Visitation Rights

1Authors Note: I know, I'm finally updating all my stories! Gasp! Did you all think I died in some horrible accident? Nope, I just got lazy! XD Okay, enough, back to the story!

**Chapter 6**

**Visitation Rights**

Kai slowly approached the gigantic house. He felt uneasy and vulnerable, going to Diva's house by himself, without even a gun, but Diva had been very clear on the terms.

"_I'll be watching you"_, she had said. _"Don't tell anyone where you are going, don't bring any back-up, or any weapons. I don't want a single Red Shield operative within a 10 mile radius from the house. Don't try anything funny, Kai- the girls know nothing of you coming, so I could kill you, and they would never know the difference."_

From past experience, Kai assumed she would be only too glad to follow through with this promise.

Kai finally reached the end of the long path, and climbed the front steps. There was no doorbell, only large metal knockers, so he was forced to use these. It felt odd, just going up to your worst enemies house, knocking on the door and saying "Hey, I'm here, let me in!" But Diva had promised no harm would come to Kai if he followed her conditions, though Kai could not be sure of this.

This was probably the stupidest thing he had ever done, but what else could he do? They were his little girls.

The large wooden doors opened.

"Ah, Kai. I trust no one has come with you?"

Without waiting for an answer, her senses probably having already told her so, Diva spun on her heel and began towards a grand staircase. She said over her shoulder, "Come this way, Kai. I will lead you to the girls."

Diva walked up the stairs quickly, the clumsy foot steps behind her telling her that Kai was close behind her. She hated having him here, having to do this- it burned her chest.

_Relax,_ she told herself, _it's all part of the plan._

_This will get me at least one, if not two of the things I want._

She reached the second floor landing, and turned down a hallway, Kai still behind her. She stopped halfway to a large, closed door at the opposite end of the hall. She turned to Kai.

"I will be going out while you are with the girls- I have no desire to stay and watch," she laughed bitterly. "I will return in three hours, at which time you will leave. Nathan will still be in the house- he has orders to watch you, and to kill you if you try to take my girls from me. So DON'T try anything, Kai. Got it?"

Kai nodded.

Diva smiled dryly. "Good. Remember, Kai, three hours."

_Plenty of time for me, _Diva thought.

Diva turned wordlessly, walked to the door, and opened it without looking inside. Her daughters ignored the opening of the door, as always. Diva gestured Kai to go inside, a hard and slightly pained expression on her face.

Kai entered the room, and Diva closed the door behind him, each squeal of joy and happiness that penetrated through the oak boards a stab in her chest.

"Nathan", Diva called, directing her voice to the general vicinity of where she knew her Chevalier to be waiting. He would hear her. "Kai is with the girls now, and I'm leaving. Make sure you watch him well- I don't make empty threats."

"Very well", came the voice from down the hall.

Diva turned and ran to the landing, jumped from it, landed gracefully, and ran all the way outside to the car she had waiting.

Three hours- she hadn't a moment to lose.


	6. Chapter 7: Resting Place

1**Chapter 7**

**Resting Place**

_This has been long in coming, _Diva thought as she climbed the stone steps. It was uncomfortably hot here in Okinawa, and Diva fanned herself with one pale hand.

This climb would have been hell with her hair long. Diva smirked, remembering that in town she had gotten more then a few strange glances. She had heard the name _Riku Miyagusuku _whispered a few times as well.

Obviously people who remembered her _groom_ from long ago and found her appearance frighteningly similar to his.

Stupid humans.

Diva reached the top of the steps, and found herself facing an above-ground tomb, apparently commonplace here in Okinawa. _Except there was nothing common about this tomb_, Diva thought gleefully.

She rushed over to the tomb, opened the great stone door, and entered.

"Uncle Kai, what's going on?!" Yuki demanded after the tears and hugs were through. Both girls were sitting on Kai's lap, who was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the floor.

"Yeah, Kai, what's going on?" Sakura echoed.

Kai sighed. "Apparently, because many of the powers of Diva's blood were transferred to you girls", he began, "your Aunt Saya's blood couldn't thoroughly kill her. So Nathan, Diva's Chevalier-"

"He's weird", Yuki interrupted. Kai gave her a small smile before continuing.

"Nathan had her revived. And she wanted you two." Kai concluded.

"But why?" Sakura whimpered, burying her face in Kai's shirt.

"I don't know. Saya said that before she supposedly killed Nathan, he told her that Diva had wanted a family."

Yuki frowned. "You don't kidnap family!"

Kai sighed again. "I know."

"So what now, Uncle Kai?" Yuki asked, a pleading look in her eyes. "I heard what _she _said; if you take us that weird guy'll kill you!"

Sakura looked up. "I didn't hear that!" She turned to Kai. "Don't you dare try to take us now", she said severely.

Kai sighed. "I know. Believe me, I know. I've turned it over and over in my mind but I can't think of how I could get you out without the Chevalier attacking and possibly harming you two by accident. Besides, Diva is extremely immature and I can't guarantee she wouldn't decide that if she can't have you, no one can..."

Kai shuddered at that thought. "But don't worry, David, Julia, Joel and Lewis and I are all trying to get you two home. And we _will._"

Yuki smiled. "So then for now let's just play together, and we can worry later." Kai smiled as Sakura said, "Yeah! Can you read us a story Kai?" She pushed a picture book toward him. "Yeah", Kai said, then began, "Once upon a time..."

It was dark in the tomb.

And dank, too. Diva crinkled her nose at the unpleasant odor. But she ignored it, anticipation building in her chest, and she looked around the tomb. Her eyes found a large cocoon attached to the far wall. She smiled gleefully with recognition, and bounced across the room.

"Well, well, Nee-sama," Diva said, pulling a knife from her pocket, "how _lovely_ to see you again!"

She placed her left hand on the side of the cocoon, and cut down the length of it with the knife. She pulled through a few layers of sticky material until a sleeping face became visible.

Diva cackled and tore at the cocoon until Saya's sleeping body fell into her arms.

"Are you surprised to see me, Nee-sama?" Diva tenderly brushed long strands of black hair away from her elder sister's closed eyes. "You should be. You killed me."

Abruptly all pretenses of sisterly love fell away from Diva's face. "And you took my children from me!" Diva spat, her eyes glowing with hatred. "Because of you, they grew up with that dumb human, and now they don't love me! And you took Solomon! Everyone just _looooves _Saya Nee-sama! Humans and Chiropterans both! And I love you too, don't I?"

Diva shifted Saya's form to one arm, and raised the dagger over her sister. "Yes, dear sister, and _because _we all love you so, you get everything! A family! A loving Chevalier, a happy childhood! You even get a little sister to play with!"

Diva gripped the knife tightly, and blood dripped down it.

"But what about that little sister, Nee-sama? What about _me_?"

She raised the dagger higher, tensing her arm.

"Did _I_ get love? Did _I_ get a family? A groom? A Chevalier who doesn't betray me or use me or both? _No!_ I get locked up in a tower by a crazy old _idiot_, a sister who tries for centuries to _kill _me, _and I get to die before my babies are born!!_"

Her arm pulled backwards, ready to plunge the knife into Saya's heart.

"And that's why I...I...I-"

It was no good. Because the mention of that memory, her death, caused another memory to float to the surface of her mind.

_Diva watched in horror as her arm began crystallizing. "Why, why just me? No! Nee-sama!"_

"_Diva!" Saya ran to her. _

_Diva watched the cracks spread to her arm, then gasped as her shoulder snapped off. Her entire arm fell... into Saya's hand._

"_Take me with you!" she pleaded, her voice cracking, as she tried to fit Diva's shoulder back in place._

"_N...Nee-sama..." Diva stared, bewildered at her sister, her mortal enemy..._

_Her dearest friend._

"_Take me with you!" Saya repeated, tears in her eyes, as Diva's legs cracked and she fell to the ground..._

The hand holding the raised dagger was shaking horribly, and tears were streaming down Diva's face. _I- I have to, _Diva told herself.

_...but I can't!_

Diva let her arm drop. "Dammit!" she screamed throwing the knife at the wall. It bounced of with a clang. Diva sank to the ground, and Saya's head fell into her lap. Diva rested her own wet face against the wall of the tomb. She was panting, nearly sobbing.

Gradually, her breathing returned to normal. She found herself absently stroking Saya's hair. She stopped, but kept her hand on her sister's head.

She sat for a few more minutes this way, a deep hopelessness falling on her. And also a sadness she could not find reason for, but she could connect it with her sister, who rested contentedly with her now only because she didn't know it was happening.

"Tell me, Nee-sama", she said quietly to her sleeping sister, "how do I win when I don't know who my enemy is?"

Diva looked at Saya once more, then picked her up, put her carefully back in the cocoon, which she then sealed, and left the tomb.

Yuki yawned deeply, and Sakura followed suit. "Hey, you made me yawn!" Sakura accused her sister. Kai glanced at the clock. "Wow, it's getting late." He blinked, then read the clock again. 9:00 pm.

Diva should have been back two hours ago.

Just then there was a loud _CRASH _from downstairs.

They all looked towards the door. They heard muffled shouting, then footsteps, and then the door opened. Nathan stood in the doorway, his face a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

"I think you should leave now, Kai-", he began, but Diva appeared behind him and shoved him aside.

"Get out. _Now._"

Her voice was barely a whisper, but she might as well have been screaming.

Yuki was the first to regain composure and she stood and pulled at Kai to do the same, concerned for his safety. When he was standing she and Sakura both pushed him out the door, muttering, "Bye, Uncle Kai" and "See you later" under their breath.

Diva followed him down the stairs, her sudden anger still permeable, and as soon as Kai was out the door, she slammed it shut.

It was only when Kai was halfway down the path that he regained the ability to think clearly. He turned around, looked back at the house.

"...What the hell?"


	7. Chapter 8: Insanity

**Chapter 8**

**Insanity**

Diva sat at the long dining room table. All the windows in the room had the curtains drawn- the room was dim. Diva had her head resting on her arms, her face buried into the wood of the table.

She had been here since last night, only getting up once to get a glass of blood- she wasn't in the mood to take it from Nathan or a random human- which she promptly forgot about.

She groaned, awakening from the half-sleep that had been tantalizing her all night.

"So, having trouble with the little rug-rats, are we?"

Diva groaned again without looking up. "Shut up, Nathan."

"You haven't even told me how your little plan went. Not well, I assume?"

Diva growled. "I said, shut _up!!_" She flung the glass which was in her hand at him. She didn't have to look up to know he head caught it before it reached its intended target- his face.

"I'll take that as a 'no,'" Nathan said. The scraping sound Diva heard told her Nathan had seated himself at the opposite end of the table. Yes, because she _so _wanted to talk to Nathan about yesterday.

"What happened? I thought you were going to bring back Saya's head as a souvenir."

Diva finally looked up. "I..._I couldn't kill her, okay?!_"

There was a silence for a moment, then Diva dropped her face into her hands. "Wha- what do I _do_, Nathan?"

Nathan filled his face with false surprise. "You're actually asking _moi? _I'm flattered."

Diva looked back at him and sneered. "Well, seeing as you seem to disapprove of _everything _I do lately, I thought you might want to actually share your views."

Nathan smiled, but them it abruptly faded and he sighed. "Well, that depends, I suppose... what exactly is it that you _want_, Diva?"

She looked at him in exasperation. "My babies to love me, of course!"

Nathan sighed again. "Which is more important to you- for them to love you, or for your children to be happy?"

Diva pondered this a moment, holding her chin with two fingers. "Both," she decided.

Nathan laughed. "I'm afraid it may not be so simple, my dear."

"Why can't it be?" Diva asked bluntly.

Nathan's face was grim as he sighed again. "Those girls were raised as humans, Diva. That is the world they know, and to them, we're monsters out of their worst nightmares."

"They're young. They'll forget," Diva growled, becoming angry now. "And they're _mine._"

"To you they are, Diva, but to them, Kai is their father, humans are their family. To them, they belong to _them._"

"Kai, Kai, _KAI_!" Diva yelled, slamming her hands on the table and rising from her chair. "That's all I ever hear! From _all _of you! God, first it was Saya, now it's _HIM! _I'm _sick _of it!"

Diva paused to breathe in deeply, closing her eyes, and regained control. She opened her eyes and sat back down. "And what, may I ask, are you implying anyway, Nathan?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"Why, _me? _I'm not implying anything," Nathan said, grinning, as he pushed back a strand of hair from his face.

Diva glared at him. "Fine. But I know you have opinions, you always do. So what, praytell, do you suggest in this situation?"

Nathan rested his face in his cupped hands and leaned forward. "Do you _really _want to know, dearie, or are you just going to fly off the handle again?"

"It depends on what you say," Diva said honestly, her face flat.

Nathan frowned. "I suppose that's all I can ask for," he sighed.

He paused dramatically, and Diva made a mental note to hit him for it, later.

"In all honesty, Diva, I believe that your best option is to return the girls to Kai," Nathan said finally.

Diva stared at him a moment, stunned. She had been prepared for so many other things- oh, what she had been prepared for! After all, it was Nathan- but she had never thought he would ever say _this, _could even _think _such a treacherous thing!

"..._What?" _She finally asked, horrible menace in her voice.

Nathan sighed, a sure sign that he had been expecting this, which only served to aggravate Diva more.

"No. _No!"_ she roared, standing up. "How _dare _you even say that?! NO! I'll _never _give them back to that _stupid human!!_"

She was panting now, about ready to go slap off the stupid grin Nathan had been wearing the entire time. He held up a hand and pointed to the doorway behind her.

"Then tell _them _that, not me."

Diva turned and stared, eyes wide and face ashen, into the similar faces of her two daughters. They held a mixture of shock, sadness, and hatred.

Diva looked at Nathan, then back at the girls, then back at Nathan, her breath creating a soft, hysterical kind of sob.

"D-damn you..."

She hadn't strength even to kill Nathan for this. She just turned, walked past her daughters, and went in a numb state all the way to her room, arriving without remembering the journey.

She fell onto the bed, curling into the pillows, sobbing hysterically. She couldn't sing to make this go away. She had nothing. Had this been Saya, no doubt _someone _would have come to her, patted her back, told her it would be okay. But Diva had no one.

That was what the girls were supposed to have been.

But they hated her. Now more then ever, courtesy of Nathan. Diva thought back, and in her hysterics she found it funny. She had so many Chevaliers before, but not one of them would have done this, comforted her. But Saya's _one _Chevalier had caught her every time she fell, hugged her, comforted her, promised her eternity together.

It was so funny, the odds were so obviously in Diva's favor, but Saya picked the right Chevalier.

And even her daughters. She had learned it from Saya- families were supposed to love each other. Though of course, she and Saya had not. Perhaps when looking for family, it was best to not be related by blood?

It was so funny. Diva clearly had the better chance, but _still_ Saya had it all.

Diva wondered why Nathan had revived her if he meant to take away any chance she had to get what she wanted.

Maybe it was _fun _to her Chevaliers, to do that. Watch her squirm, watch happiness drain from her eyes. Amshel certainly had enjoyed it. And Solomon, too, in the end. Nathan was now. And Karl had just been crazy at the end of his life...well, his whole life, really. At least when she had known him.

Perhaps being a Chevalier made you crazy? Yes, that was it. It made you crazy. They told her it made them love you, bu really they hated you for making them crazy, so they stayed by you, biding their time until they could take happiness from under your nose. Yes, that was what it did...at least what the younger Queen's blood did...

She had once heard the theory that Queens were naturally antagonistic with their sister. It had made sense to Diva- why not kill the one person who could kill you? Perhaps it was this way for Queens and their mothers, as well. Maybe Diva would have hated _her _mother had she known her. That would explain why all the fates seemed to be against her pursuit of happiness.

Diva had never much believed in the human's God, but she silently begged now, in case He was there, for Him to have pity on her.

Okay, _now _she was going insane. Perhaps eventually the Queen's own blood made her insane, like with Chevaliers! That might be a relief- at least she would have an excuse.

Diva laughed hysterically through her sobs. So, she was backed against a wall, eh? She had nothing and no one, and she never would. She happily let herself fall into the black despair which waited for her.

It was a relief to let go, stop hoping. But at the same time was excruciatingly painful. She couldn't stay this way long. It was her way to keep going, however hopeless, however painful, it was vital to life to take that next step forward.

She didn't know how not to.

So such had been her life. Forward, forward, making only enemies, receiving only hate, solitary. Maybe this was wrong, but it was all she knew how to do.

She could no longer hear her own sobs, though whether they had ceased or she could no longer hear them, she didn't know. Nor did she care. She was broken again, red glimmering crystals on the floor, slowly turning to red dust, blowing past in the wind.

And there was Saya, watching her go by, her sword entwined in blue roses. Saya even held one in her hand.

And there was Kai, playing with her girls in the park, comforting, hugging, and the girls laughed. God, they were beautiful. They watched her fly by, and held out dandelions as she passed.

And Riku, he sat on a rock, swinging his feet. He grinned as she passed.

And Solomon, he watched her go by with a smile, untainted by sadness as the last time she had seen him. He waved as she passed.

And James and Karl passed, and someone who might be her mother, and Amshel, and Nathan and she was crying now, tears falling from the red dust. They held out their hands as she passed, and each person called to her, all saying the same thing.

"_Sing. Sing for us, Diva."_

And she obeyed.

* * *

The girls watched their mother's sleeping form for a while. Her face had tear streaks on it, and her expression was unfathomable as her lips moved quietly as she slept.

Yuki and Sakura stood transfixed, clinging to the side of the doorway. This was not the woman they had grown to know. It couldn't have been. She didn't cry, she didn't....she didn't....

"Yuki," whispered Sakura, "what's going on?"

Yuki shook her head. "I wish I knew."

_

* * *

_

A/N: Oh my god, I'm crying now.

_Poor Diva. Yeah, I know, no Kai, sorry. But he didn't fit in this chapter. So, please ignore his absence_ _and review, okay? And yes, I have finally mastered editing the document! No more confusing scene shifts! Too bad I didn't get to use it much here. :'(_


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